'The Wonderful 50s: Change, Change, Change' … And Marilyn Monroe
âThe Wonderful 50s: Change, Change, Changeâ ⦠And Marilyn Monroe
Growing up in the 1950s was a great experience for many of us, while not so great for others.
On Monday, March 12, at 7:30 pm, in the community room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street (Route 25), Newtown Historical Society will offer a look at the best and worst of the 50s in a program presented by Gordon Williams, titled âThe Wonderful 50s â Change, Change, Change.â
The decade was undeniably exciting: veterans of World War II were still acclimating to civilian life when new hostilities broke out in Korea; the Iron Curtain had descended and the Cold War was reaching full stride; Joe McCarthy found Communists riddled throughout the government and the entertainment industry, finally to be slapped down by one of our most popular presidents, Dwight Eisenhower.
The economy, fueled by pent-up war demand, was solid, Americans felt safe, and confidence was imaged in automotive chariots that resembled a cross between the fins of a new breed of shark and the flight decks of the aircraft carriers that had helped win the war.
Meanwhile, test patterns were broadcast daily by the still fledgling TV industry, along with Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, Lucy, and dancing to American Bandstand; rock and roll hit the airwaves; the Soviet Union had the atomic bomb, and American schools held regular A-bomb drills that didnât fool even the kids.
Mr Williams will cover these and many other events that will jog memories of that now long-ago era of the 1950s.
Gordon Williams is a historian and retired teacher. He was Trumbullâs Teacher of the Year, a Fulbright scholar and exchange teacher, and still loves to spin a historic tale.
He has spoken before for the historical society, of which he is a former president, and other local groups many times. He is also active with the Lions Club in Newtown.
All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.
For further information call the society at 203-426-5937.